Food borne bacterial disease associated with the consumption of meat and poultry products results in 5,000,000 illnesses and 4,000 deaths per year (United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service Control of Pathogenic and Spoilage Bacteria on Red Meat (404497)). For example, eating contaminated ground beef that has not been cooked sufficiently to kill E. coli can result in E. coli infection. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 73,000 illnesses and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year specifically from E. coli 0157: H7.
Beef, sheep, and ruminants in general have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that live in their fore stomach or rumen. Most of these microorganisms are harmless to people and are helpful to their hosts. However, E. coli 0157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, and some Clostridia species are pathogenic and can cause illness. These microorganisms are shed in the manure of animals and are easily introduced into ground meats during processing.
In addition to the human health threat, the red meat industry suffers economic hardship each year due to recalls of meat contaminated with pathogenic organisms. For example, E. coli 0157:H7 based recalls of food products are common and frequently make the national news in the United States alone. Presently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the beef processing industry have implemented a program to decontaminate carcasses post-harvesting in order to reduce the incidence contamination food products and therefore reduce the incidence of food borne bacterial disease. However, many cases of food borne bacterial disease still arise.
Therefore, a need exists for methods and compositions that will help reduce the incidence of contamination of food products.